Research Areas

Targeted Delivery of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Current treatment methods for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) have proven to be insufficient in improving the quality of life of patients. These treatments have focused on suppressing the inflammatory response but have ignored the damage already present in the gut. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been shown to, not only have anti-inflammatory properties, but also promote tissue repair. Previous studies using MSCs have been hindered by venous complications arising from the stem cell infusion.

These problems could be a result of the high dose of cells needed to achieve the desired effects. We hypothesized that enhanced targeting of MSCs to the intestinal vasculature using a nanocarrier will increase delivery to the injured sites resulting in improved tissue repair and anti-inflammatory effect. This could also lead to a decrease in the number of cells required for treatment, thereby minimizing side effects. To this end, we are employing a dendrimer delivery vehicle and complexing it with targeting peptides specific to inflammation. To test the homing of the stem cells coated with our nanocarriers we are utilizing various mouse models of IBD. After inducing the intestinal inflammation, we systemically administer the treatment and track the localization of the cells by fluorescent/bioluminescent techniques. Additionally, we are testing the therapeutic effect of our targeted stem cells by tracking the pathology of the mice.